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Fronted by award-winning vocalist and former 1927 bassist Simon Shapiro, an eight-piece band will perform Farnham classics including You’re the Voice, Pressure Down, Age of Reason, Two Strong Hearts, That’s Freedom, Helpand Sadie. Photo supplied
Burdekin John Farnham fans will hear some of his biggest hits performed live when One Voice—Greatest Hits of John Farnham comes to the Burdekin Theatre on Friday 16th October.
Fronted by award-winning vocalist and former 1927 bassist Simon Shapiro, an eight-piece band will perform Farnham classics including You’re the Voice, Pressure Down, Age of Reason, Two Strong Hearts, That’s Freedom, Help and Sadie.
The two-hour concert will see Shapiro draw on his own unique connection to Farnham, having previously touring as a support act for the Australian singer.
“Touring with him as a support act … and seeing him perform from the side stage has helped me to see first-hand where the bar is; really high,” he said.
Shapiro said the show began as a one-off performance for an Australian event after he had initially started performing on a cruise ship.
“It went really well, I really resonated with the material, and it all seemed to match my voice—a lot more than I thought it would,” he said.
“After that, we decided as a group that we’d make it a thing.”
The show has been touring theatres since December last year, backed by musicians with experience performing and recording alongside artists including Michael McDonald, Simple Minds, Daryl Braithwaite, Glenn Shorrock, Ross Wilson, Wendy Matthews, Eurogliders and Brian Cadd.
Shapiro said Farnham’s distinctive approach to his music was something he sought to preserve in the show.
“John Farnham didn’t ever sing a song the same way—he's very creative with his melodies and he’ll have fun with the notes, and I try to embody that spirit,” he said, adding that the band plays off the audience’s energy.
“Every crowd is different. Some shows, we’ll go: ‘they’re in a singing mood, we’re gonna break it down more often and get them to sing along a bit more.’”
Beyond the songs, Shapiro said its about preserving the legacy of a legendary Australian musician.
“I think people are very defensive about John Farnham, and rightly so,” he said.
“It’s more important now than ever that artists perform his legacy of music, because it is a big part of the Australian culture.”
One Voice – Greatest Hits of John Farnham will be held at the Burdekin Theatre on Friday, 16th October, from 7.30pm to 10.30pm.
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